A problem which has been constantly plaguing vehicles having engines relying on lubricating fluids is keeping the amount of lubricating fluid at the proper level. Lubricating fluid levels are known to decrease due to leakage and burning of the fluid inside the engine when the engine is not working properly. Furthermore, operating an engine for even a short amount of time with an inadequate amount of lubricating fluid will result in damage to the lubricated components of the engine.
There have been numerous attempts to solve this problem. These attempts have their own drawbacks because they usually: require an additional source of power to control their valves, only check the level of oil at predetermined times, or only operate when the engine is running. This last drawback is especially a problem when, for example, an engine is started after a vehicle has remained unattended for many months in a garage while leaking oil. While in the perfect world, the level of oil would be checked prior to starting the vehicle, this is not always done.
The apparatus according to the invention allows for the level of lubricating fluid in a crankcase of an internal combustion engine to be maintained at a predetermined level at all times.